Second, it’s an older book in a fast moving industry. It needs to be updated. They should update it every year. They won’t, but they should, so just keep that in mind as you read it. It’s already out of date, despite the 2.0-ness.

What it does do, it does well. That is, even though the author is not a trained economist, he accomplishes the only real purpose of that profession, which is explicate the economic flows that makeup the ecosystem, the industry, the market, the various players within and outside the companies involved.

And he writes in a friendly, quick way that makes it a breeze. So, in the space of several hours, you come away with a strong understanding of where Hollywood has been, and where it has come, and why, including the accounting tricks that crush creators in favor of studio executives, the importance of cup holders, and why the studios consolidated the way they did in the ’90s.

It’s the kind of insight that helps unearth opportunity for entrepreneurs or generally inform the curious.